“Massachusetts made history tonight,
both for our transgender neighbors who call this state home and for
transgender people across this nation,” Suffredini said in a
statement. “Together, we have shattered broken stereotypes of what
it means to be transgender and debunked the myth – once and for all
– that protecting transgender people compromises the safety of
others.”

Carol Rose, executive director of the
ACLU of Massachusetts, said that the win was crucial due to the Trump
administration's continued attacks on the transgender community.

“Tonight, we sent a message not just
to transgender people and their families and friends here in
Massachusetts, but to the entire country. At a time when transgender
rights are being threatened nationally, we absolutely must preserve
the rights we have secured at the state level,” Rose said in a
statement.

Opponents of the law said that they
mainly objected to it because it allows men to prey on vulnerable
women and girls in public restrooms and locker rooms.

Tuesday's outcome was mostly a foregone
conclusion, with polls showing wide support for keeping the law on
the books.

Laverne Cox, an actress and transgender
activist, was among the celebrities who called on voters to keep the
law.